St. Thomas More On Forgiveness

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St. Thomas
More's

Thoughts On
Forgiveness

"Bear no malice or evil will to any man living. For either the
man is good or wicked. If he is good and I hate him, then I am
wicked.

If he is wicked, either he will amend and die good and go to
God, or live wickedly and die wickedly and go to the devil. And then
let me remember that if he be saved, he will not fail (if I am saved
too, as I trust to be) to love me very heartily and I shall then in
like manner love him.

And why should I now, then, hate one for this while who shall
hereafter love me forever, and why should I be now, then, an enemy
with whom I shall in time be coupled in eternal friendship? And on
the other side, if he will continue to be wicked and be damned, then
is there such outrageous eternal sorrow before him that I may well
think myself a deadly cruel wretch if I would not now rather pity
his pain then malign his person."